1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of plastic containers in general, and in particular to a novel hinge system for connecting the lid of the container to the receptacle of the invention.
2. Description of Related Art
As can be seen by reference to the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,257,022; 5,148,912; 5,489,035; and 5,540,343, the prior art is replete with myriad and diverse hinge constructions that connect a container lid to a container receptacle.
While all of the aforementioned prior art constructions are more than adequate for the basic purpose and function for which they have been specifically designed, they are uniformly deficient with respect to their failure to provide a simple, efficient, and practical detachable hinge system for plastic containers and the like that will allow the lid and the receptacle of the containers to be selectively connected and disconnected to one another by a removable hinge member.
As anyone who uses plastic containers is all too well aware, there are certain times that you want a hinge member to be provided so that the lid does not become separated from the receptacle during use or the hinge member can be used to suspend the container from a support during storage, and there are other times when the presence of an integrally formed hinge creates problems such as when placing the container in a dishwasher and/or during storage when the containers and lids are stored separately.
As a consequence of the foregoing situation, there has existed a longstanding need for a new and improved detachable hinge system for container wherein a hinge member can be selectively engaged and disengaged between the container receptacle and the container lid, and the provision of such a construction is a stated objective of the present invention.